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<a href="http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/306431/afrikaans-is-forced-on-children-in-schools-complain-parents" class="gmail-article-header__link">Afrikaans is forced on children in schools complain parents</a>
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<time class="gmail-article-header__time" datetime="2018-06-05 12:47">5 June 2018 12:47 PM</time>
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<blockquote class="gmail-blockquote"><a href="https://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capetalk.co.za%2Farticles%2F306431%2Fafrikaans-is-forced-on-children-in-schools-complain-parents&text=Language choice is a parental choice.&via=CapeTalk" title="Tweet this" target="_blank" class="gmail-tweet-this"></a>
<p>Language choice is a parental choice.</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Angie Motshekga, Basic Education Minister</cite>
</blockquote><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote">
<p>If you take your child to a school where the majority of parents will
vote for Afrikaans and English, it means you are bound by the decisions
of your counterparts or your fellow parental body.</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Angie Motshekga, Basic Education Minister</cite>
</blockquote><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote"><a href="https://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capetalk.co.za%2Farticles%2F306431%2Fafrikaans-is-forced-on-children-in-schools-complain-parents&text=It's a choice you would have made by going to that school and it's a choice you have to live with.&via=CapeTalk" title="Tweet this" target="_blank" class="gmail-tweet-this"></a>
<p>It's a choice you would have made by going to that school and it's a choice you have to live with.</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Angie Motshekga, Basic Education Minister</cite>
</blockquote><p>Callers on the Eusebius McKaiser show expressed their
views on the language policy at schools in reply to what Minister of
Basic Education Angie Motshekga said on Monday on the show. </p>
<p>Some parents expressed that the school has informed them that government has made Afrikaans compulsory for learners in schools.</p><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote">
<p>I'm a bit confused about the minister's statements on Afrikaans. I've
got a child who is in primary school. The child is so disappointed with
everything right now. I have to teach her Afrikaans and I don't know
it. I am forced to do homework with here that I don't even understand.
In a meeting, we were told the department requires them to do Afrikaans.</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Noma, Caller</cite>
</blockquote><p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="http://www.702.co.za/articles/306264/number-of-teachers-assaulting-learners-is-embarrassingly-high-motshekga">Number of teachers assaulting learners is embarrassingly high - Motshekga</a></p><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote">
<p>Why is the department giving the SGB the power to choose the language policy? Why can't we choose between English and Xhosa?</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Lerato, Caller</cite>
</blockquote><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote">
<p>We enrolled our child to attend school next year. Our understanding
is that the school teaches English, Afrikaans and Zulu and we as parents
totally support that.</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Zain, Caller</cite>
</blockquote><p>Other callers did not agree.</p><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote">
<p>I'm failing to understand what all these parents are complaining
about. If a parent has a problem with Afrikaans why don't they take them
to a school where there is only Zulu, Tswana etc. If you don't want
your child doing Afrikaans what are you doing in a model C school?</p>
— <cite class="gmail-blockquote__cite">Sian, Caller</cite>
</blockquote><p>Eusebius intervened.</p><blockquote class="gmail-blockquote"><a href="https://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capetalk.co.za%2Farticles%2F306431%2Fafrikaans-is-forced-on-children-in-schools-complain-parents&text=I think that's an arrogant viewpoint. I don't think this is not a helpful response and you know it.&via=CapeTalk" title="Tweet this" target="_blank" class="gmail-tweet-this"></a>
<p>I think that's an arrogant viewpoint. I don't think this is not a helpful response and you know it.</p></blockquote></div>
- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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